People have different preferences and purposes when they are travelling. Some people are travelling for work while others are for the excursion. Some are travelling for wildlife or geological explorations while some are trying to see the world. Some may have a hard time believing that certain people are actually going to volcanic platforms or areas to see the site. Well, such a site has its own appeal, anyway. If you are travelling to China, you can always go to Datong Volcanic park.
What is Datong Volcanic Park
About the Site
The volcanoes are situated in the northeast region, around 3 kilometres away from Datong City. The city is located in Xigelaoshan district in Beijing – on the western area of North China. What makes this area special? It has around thirty cinder cones scattered within the land of 60 square feet land. The most popular ones are Gelaoshan (which is 1,276 meters above the sea level), Langwoshan (1,028 meters), Jinshan (1,368 meters), and Heishan (1,422 meters). Jinshan is especially the most popular because it is well-maintained and preserved.
About the Volcanoes
Most people think that volcanoes are just the same. In reality, there are four different types of them, depending on the height, the shape, and the slope. Datong volcanic field has two of them: the cinder cones and lava domes. As the name suggests, a cinder cone is a symmetrical cone with 30 to 40 degrees of slope. The height usually reaches 370 meters or 1,200 feet. The lava dome, on the other hand, is smaller. It comes in the form of a dome with 25 to 35 degrees of slope. The height usually reaches 100 meters or 330 feet.
What about the volcanoes in Datong? The craters are generally shaped in dustpan or round form. The upper area is not even and precipitous while the bottom side is even. The soil and bedrock surrounding the volcanoes are a mixture of loess and basalt. The lava and basalt are mixed together because of the cycle period of idle and eruption and idle again.
Geography and Location
The volcano group is also known as Fanjiatun or Ta-T’ung. The location is right on the intersection between 2 regional fault zones. In general, the volcanic area has 80 volcanic vents, including small lava domes and cinder cones. The central area has 12 cones.
There were some written and unwritten records of the eruptions. Some of the written records dated back to the 5th century where they erupted Jurassic coal materials. Some of the ‘youngest’ cones dated back to 0.37 million years ago.
The park has its own unique view. Even the atmosphere is different from your regular go-to tourist destinations and spots. If you come to this place, there is a sense that you are witnessing one of the greatest pieces of evidence of our Earth’s true age.
Read also: Tengchong Volcano National Park, the Unique Volcanic Field in China
Reaching the Area
There are some tours available to come and explore Datong Volcanic Park. It seems that the only accessible way to reach the place is by driving your own car. There hasn’t been any available information about the availability of public transportation. Moreover, most travel and tour providers have their own transportation fleet. It is safe to assume that you can either join the tour or drive on your own if you decide to come by yourself.
Coming to Volcanic Park may not seem appealing or interesting, but you’ll never know until you try, right? In the event you are planning to come to China, it doesn’t hurt to come to Datong and visit the volcanic park. Be sure to plan everything from now on, including planning and reserving your flights with Airpaz. You may get the best deal and offer!
